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NFU 'Delighted' at Defra’s £400 Million Food Procurement Plans

22 July 2014

UK - Following the launch of Defra’s £400million ‘A Plan for Public Procurement’ (Monday), NFU Deputy President Minette Batters said the plan was a significant step in the right direction to Government backing British Farming.

“We applaud the work that Dr Peter Bonfield has done to develop a new architecture for public sector procurement that aims to put more British food on public sector plates. That aim, to grow the amount of locally sourced food and drink, chimes with our own wider aspiration of growing the British farming industry,” Ms Batters said.

“I really look forward to working with the new Secretary of State not only on this procurement plan but also how we build a strategic plan for growing British agriculture.

“With agriculture featuring on the new school curriculum for the first time, this procurement plan means that children will not only be learning about how there food is produced, they will be able ‎to have more British food on their plates. I am also delighted to have such support across Government departments enabling them to more easily source British produce.

“Of course saying that more British food is sourced to our standards of production is one thing; to ensure that this happens on the ground, it’s important that public sector buyers and caterers know that they can easily meet the plans aims by simply sourcing food to Red Tractor standards, the widely recognised mark of British food production standards.”